Balance
by Nukas
Summary: The lesson of balance is one that is, most times, learned the hard way. Mike has a tiny, itsy, bitsy, amount of experience in that field...


**Balance (#13)**

 **TMNT – 2k14/2k16**

 **Notes: So, this is based off a canon that was started by 'SubtleBubbles' on DeviantArt and it's basically about how Mikey has a faster metabolism than his brothers, causing him to have sugar drops when he's either extremely stressed or starving, explaining why he eats so much. So, in this fic, "low" and "high" will be used to refer to his blood sugar levels, example; "I think I'm low Don."**

 **But yeah, at the end of her/his amazing fic on DA, the A/N is the headcanon she/he believes in, and I love it. It inspired me to write this ficlet, so hands up for "SubtleBubbles" (I also love the name, lol) that fic she wrote (The one you'll find the canon in) is called "Just A Day" which is an amazing Mike sick!fic. Cute, I encourage you all the check it out!**

 **Anyways, this fic is just derived from that little bugga.**

 **Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN NINJA TURTLES AT ALL OR THIS AMAZING GIRL'S/GUY'S FIC!**

* * *

"Mikey slow down! You're going to choke yourself." Don reprimanded.

"I'm surprised he hasn't already…" Leo remarked, slightly disgusted and amused.

"I fmpwhill swoon." Came said orange banded turtle's response. He was shoving spoonful after spoonful of the lunch he had just made for them.

Raph had to snicker at his younger brother's response.

"Alright Mike, stopping would be nice. April is going to be over soon to help me out with the fix ups for our lair. It would be nice if you would be respectful…" Don tried again, only to get his younger brother to reply, "Ivm am bweing revempectful! I fhmade thmphem svome!" He swallowed the final spoonful of his second serving.

"I still don't undastand how tha squirt neva gains any weight!" Raph remarked as Mikey went for his third helping. Raph took a bite of his sandwich. He wasn't a fan of stew or any kind of soup really.

"Let him be thankful for the genetic luck he has." Don said, slowly eating his stew as well. He had to be mindful how much he took in, he ended up with the slowest metabolism out of all of them. Don had pulled a test on all this after said question had been ringing in all the turtles' (and rats) minds; How did Mikey never put on any weight?

It boggled them all ( _except Mikey, who took it as a blessing, obviously; "Hey, let's not wonder 'kay? I'm blessed, that's enough- owww, Raph!"_ ) how the youngest could never pack on the extra pounds.

Thus, the test occurred about two years ago. Raph and Leo had pretty average metabolism's at least for mutant human-turtle hybrid teenage ninjas. And Don's was a bit slow, but not too behind.

Mikey's though?

Mikey's was the speed of light.

It also told Don why Mikey always worried them when he said he was dizzy at times of stress and not being able to eat. Apparently, Mikey's blood sugar levels had to be monitored, something they hadn't been doing. So, from then on, Don planned on watching the youngest; and he has for the last two years. Still, it was astonishing how much the youngest could eat in a day.

Mikey rolled his eyes at Don and put his bowl down. "Fine." He pouted. He began eating slower to appease his big overly-people-pleaser brother.

"Thank you." Don sighed. He got up and saw April and Angel enter the lair, "Hey, want any stew?"

"Oh, sure. Thanks guys, traffic was heavy so I knew I couldn't get a bite after work to get here on time."

"I expected, I'll get you a bowl." Leo got up from the little 'table' the boys were sitting at and Don began chatting with the girls about the main 'fix ups' they had to get done.

* * *

"Hey knucklehead, this ain't a all ya can eat." Raph glared at his youngest brother.

"What?"

"Fat ass." Raph smirked as his younger brother started to shove more of the dumplings he had cooked, into his mouth.

"Don't call me fat Raph, we all know you're the fattest!" Mikey teased back as he swallowed.

"Yeah, well at least Ah don't go shovin' double of what Ah weigh down mah mouth."

"At least I keep it off!"

"At least Ah ain't piggin' out!"

"Alright you two, cut it out!" Don interfered.

"Well, tell him not to judge how much I eat!"

"Tell chubsta here not ta go eatin' all tha good stuff!" Raph complained back. He had wanted the last of the dumplings, so this thirteen-year-old wasn't backing down. Fancy foods like dumplings were a rare find, and it wasn't fair that Mikey went shoving pound after pound (or at least what it seemed like to the 13 years old) of the treasured food down his throat.

"Okay, well, if you want those dumplings so much Raph, here." Leo stood up and gave his two dumplings to Raph. "Happy?"

"Hmph, see what cha cause Fatso?" Raph remarked. They weren't in as bad as a situation as when they were younger, but food was still slightly scarce. Even though Leo and Master Splinter had managed to hide it from the youngest two (though Don was starting to catch on), they couldn't hide it from Raph.

"Me?! I didn't tell Leo to give you his!" Mikey huffed.

"Relax you two. It's not like I'm going to starve." Leo got in between the two, who ended up beak to beak, and pushed Raph away. Raph had been standing and leaning right into a sitting down Mikey's face, the two having a little 'face off'.

Later that night, Mikey entered his room, and the smile he had first been sporting, fell. He looked at the ground and thought about it… Was he fat?

He looked down at his stomach/plastron. He poked at it, then tried to tell himself not to think about it anymore. It wasn't important right?

' _Wrong. Raph's right; you're a fat pig._ ' He thought, upset. ' _Maybe I should go on a diet…_ '

With these thoughts in mind, Mikey went to sleep with a new goal on his mind.

The next morning, Mikey awoke with a groan. His stomach was growling, and he almost jumped out of bed, ready to cook up breakfast for his brothers and father, as well as himself.

Totally forgetting about his last night thoughts, Mikey began cooking. It only occurred to him as he started thinking about how much eggs he was going to need for the pancake batter.

' _Remember? The diet thingy…_ ' Mikey groaned as he remembered, for the second time that morning. ' _If I don't eat, I can't be called a pig. It's going to be hard though…_ ' He whined internally as he heard his stomach growl. Mikey only cooked enough food for his brothers and Sensei that morning.

He didn't need to eat, so he was sitting in the dojo as he family ate, slipping away before any questions could be asked.

"Aye Mike? Where were ya at breakfast? Ya jus' disappeared bro." Mikey nearly jumped out of his shell as he flipped around to face his three older brothers. He had been trying to sneak to his room, but with all his older brothers sitting by the TV mountain it was kind of difficult.

"I told Sensei about it Raphie! I ate before you guys came out, stop being such a worry wart!" Mikey giggled as his big brother rolled his eyes.

"Ah ain't worryin'." Raph's small blush gave it away though. But Mikey had been truly surprised his brother had forgotten about their argument yesterday so fast…

"Yeah yeah, whatever _Raphie_." Mikey put emphasis on the word to annoy his older brother.

As Raph began growling, he was quickly silenced by his other older brother.

"Are you sure Mikey? It seemed kind of fast for you to have already eaten…We didn't come in that long after you finished cooking…" Don gave a worried look to the twelve years old.

"Yup! A cook never shares his secrets Donny boy!" With that, Mikey just left the room, wearing his fake smile the entire time.

Meanwhile, Raph and Don just exchanged looks, before shrugging a ' _What can ya do?_ ' kind of shrug, before returning to their game on the console. But Leo felt something was off. Since he had just been spectating the game as a passerby, he told the other two turtles he was going to practice in the dojo, but instead went straight to his youngest brother's room.

Knock knock.

"Mikey, are you okay?" Leo's voice was coated in concern and Mikey felt his chest tighten a bit.

"Of course, why wouldn't I be bro?...Everything's better down where it's wetter take it from-"

"Okay, okay. You promise goofball?"

"Yep!"

Leo sighed. He could hear the strain in his brother's voice, but he didn't push.

"Alright, _see you_ at dinner." Leo made sure to put a strong note in his words. He _would_ see his brother at dinner, at the table, eating. He didn't know what was going on with his little brother, but whatever it was, it wasn't going to start making him skip out on meals. Mikey ate a lot, sure it was kind of frustrating sometimes, but it made Mikey himself.

At dinner, Mikey was there, which should've made Leo relax. Except for the fact that he didn't once touch his fork.

"Michelangelo, why such a small appetite?" Splinter inquired. He was used to his youngest son eating _everything_ in sight, but suddenly, he was barley touching his _first_ serving.

"I'm just not hungry today Sensei. May I be excused?" Mikey managed to fake a smile, but it was a small, non-Mikey like smile. They were used to his smile being bright and exuberant, not small and shy. Splinter pursed his lips, he almost wanted to force his son to eat, but decided against it.

He sighed, "Fine, you may go. But no video games or TV, you are to go straight to bed _if_ you are feeling so unwell." Mikey nodded and left the table.

"What's goin' on wit Mike?" Raph asked to no one in particular.

"I don't know, but we're going to find out." Leo looked at his brother with a determined set of sapphire orbs.

"Yeah, Mikey _never_ accepts a punishment that quietly _or_ not eat. Something's wrong." Don mused, his eyes glazed with worry and curiosity.

"Perhaps you boys should finish your own food first, then worry about your brother." Sensei reminded them, making the boys flush as they had talked about their 'great plan' right in front of their own father, forgetting he was there.

"Hai Sensei."

Later that night when the boys and rat went to their rooms, Raph made sure to enter Mike's and his shared room quietly.

"Mike, ya awake bro?" He whispered. He had figured out what might be making his baby brother so… off lately.

"Mmhm." Came a slurred hum of 'yeah'.

"Ya okay?" He asked sheepishly.

"Yeaaa…" What as wrong with his brother?

"Really? Ya sound sick… Do ya want me ta get Masta Splinta?"

"W-what? No, I'm fine bro. Cool as a cucumber." He slurred.

Raph gave a skeptical look to his little brother's shell in the top bunk.

"Ya sure?"

"Yup."

His little brother had yet to face him. "Alrigh'."

The next morning, Raph heard a big 'thud' sound, which woke him up frantically.

"Mike?! What happened?" He asked upon hearing his baby brother's voice crying weakly.

"I-I feel really dizzy, lightheaded…" He whined out, stumbling on the floor and struggling to stand.

Raph jumped out of bed, all tiredness forgotten, and helped his baby brother up, "DONNY!" He screamed, wanting his younger brother in here to take care of the issue. He had no idea what was going on at all.

* * *

Mikey, now 15, felt the same dizziness and lightheadedness he had _really_ recognized for the first time years ago.

"Donny… I think I'm going low…" He murmured.

Don was immediately concerned and jogged back over to where his younger brother was swaying on his feet slightly, head in his hands. Raph and Leo were looking over with worried eyes as well. "Alright, Leo and I will go down to street level and see if there are any sweets in a trash or something. Raph, stay here and watch his levels; make sure he sits down."

Raph nodded as the two turtle brothers made their way down the fire escape. He turned to his baby brother, checking him over like a spread sheet, "Ya feel anythin' else?"

"Same as I was two seconds ago bro." Mikey smiled weakly. Raph frowned as he guided him to a vent he could sit on.

"Ah thought'cha ate before we left?"

"…"

"Mikey…" He growled. Were they really going to deal with this again?

"Ya idiot, how many times have we told cha ta eat before we go on patrol?" He snarled, but it was purely out worry and love. He sat next to his baby brother and let him lean on him as he begun swaying in his seat.

"Sorry Raphie."

Raph sighed, "It's a'ight. Jus' don't be so dumb next time." He flicked the back of his brother's wrist instead of his head due to his brother suffering there already. "Ah love ya. Ya know that right?" He pulled his brother in close to him.

"Yeah Raphie, I know."

"Good." Raph let out a breath and gave his brother a noogie.

"Raphie?"

"Hmmm?"

"I-I feel shaky…" Raph frowned deeper and felt the sweat on his brother. He looked at him and could tell his levels were dropping quick.

"Mike, have ya ate anythin' taday?"

"Um… Not for a day and a half…" He said honestly, his head down in shame.

Raph growled in frustration as he tugged at his own mask tails, "Damnit ya idiot." Raph inhaled heavily through his nose to calm down.

"Here." Raph adjusted his brother so he could lay down across his lap. "Ya comfy?"

Mikey could only slur out a, "Mmmmm."

' _C'mon guys, Mike ain't feeling too good…_ '

Of course, they eventually came back with a candy bar and practically shoved it down their youngest's throat. After 30 minutes of letting the sugar regulate Mikey's body, the headed back home. The entire time, Mikey was being lectured by all three brothers on why eating is important.

* * *

 **Again, just making my way through the WIP folder** **:) Hope ya enjoyed! Oh, and don't forget to review and check out SubtleBubbles on DeviantArt!**


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